Panel Truck ? Sedan Delivery ?

[Sam I Am]

This may have been discussed before, but I have noticed these designations being mislabeled. Any passenger car platform is called a "sedan delivery" which was originally based on a two door sedan, which morphed into a two door station wagon in later years.

On the other hand, a Panel truck or Panel delivery, is based on a pickup platform, (I have seen factory built on 1/2, 3/4, and 1 ton chassis).

Below are examples of both.

Do you agree or disagree with the descriptions? If so, which categories should they be posted in?

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by Sam I Am

[Ace-Garageguy]

I think the "panel truck" and "sedan delivery" distinctions are clearly just as you defined them.

Panel trucks would go in the "light truck" category as the forum is currently organized.

Sedan deliveries could go either way, but are bound to offend someone whatever you do.

A sedan delivery is of course nothing but a station wagon with opaque rear quarter windows being used as a light truck.

Oh, the humanity !!!

[Tabbysdaddy]

If it has wide rear tires it might need to go in the drag racing section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bills72sj]

Your distinction is logical and agreeable. I would not mind viewing builds of either or both in general.

[Sam I Am]

13 minutes ago, Bills72sj said:

I would not mind viewing builds of either or both in general.

I love them, that is why I have so many to build.

I believe there is a general thread devoted to them in the light truck section. 

Edited February 25, 2023 by Sam I Am

[Little Timmy]

I think your designations  are right on the money.

[iamsuperdan]

Your descriptions sound pretty correct to me.

 

Personally, I think they all belong in the Light Commercial section, but I probably wouldn't move it unless someone complained about its placement. 

As an aside, you would be shocked at how often people report threads for being in the "wrong spot" and how upset some people get about it. And to further it, how upset people get if their thread is moved. 

 

[Jon Haigwood]

Sounds about right to me. But is a Ranchero only a Ute in Australia ? 

I believe on this side of the pond any passenger car with a bed is a Coupe Utility . And a a Pickup is on the truck platform 

Edited February 26, 2023 by Jon Haigwood

[Tabbysdaddy]

My 86 K5 Blazer was classified as a station wagon on the title.

[Brian Austin]

Apparently pickups fall into the "ute" category in Australia and New Zealand.

Also, their "vans" are what we'd call sedan deliveries here in N. America.  🙂

[Robberbaron]

Fully agree with your definitions.  And when discussing American vehicles (at least through the sixties era), it's a matter of fact, not opinion.

It's not as common nowadays, but many cities used to have truck restrictions on certain roadways.  Not just weight limits, but any vehicle registered as a truck could be forbidden from using a certain street, boulevard, etc.  I believe it was usually instituted in downtown, upscale business districts.

So certain businesses located in those areas (or that needed to deliver into those areas) needed a vehicle that could be registered as a passenger car.

I'm not sure if it's still in effect, but a certain Chicago suburb used to forbid any registered truck from being parked in a home's driveway overnight.  (If you were a lowly peasant who drove one of those dirty, dirty trucks, you needed to conceal it within your garage, lest the neighbors become offended)

Edited February 26, 2023 by Robberbaron

[Joe Handley]

2 hours ago, Tabbysdaddy said:

My 86 K5 Blazer was classified as a station wagon on the title.

For a time, Illinois did the same with the XJ Jeep Cherokees we had, it was either a Station Wagons or Carry All, depending on if it was the ‘88 or ‘90 Dad had, the ‘92 my Sister had or the ‘98 I had.

[Joe Handley]

1 hour ago, Robberbaron said:

Fully agree with your definitions.  And when discussing American vehicles (at least through the sixties era), it's a matter of fact, not opinion.

It's not as common nowadays, but many cities used to have truck restrictions on certain roadways.  Not just weight limits, but any vehicle registered as a truck could be forbidden from using a certain street, boulevard, etc.  I believe it was usually instituted in downtown, upscale business districts.

So certain businesses located in those areas (or that needed to deliver into those areas) needed a vehicle that could be registered as a passenger car.

I'm not sure if it's still in effect, but a certain Chicago suburb used to forbid any registered truck from being parked in a home's driveway overnight.  (If you were a lowly peasant who drove one of those dirty, dirty trucks, you needed to conceal it within your garage, lest the neighbors become offended)

I remember that, weren’t there some of the really high end suburbs that straight out banned all trucks, even garaged after dark here too?

 

We also have the B Truck plate that restricts where vehicles wearing them can be driven, like not being allowed on Lake Shore Drive, as an example too.

[Robberbaron]

2 hours ago, Joe Handley said:

I remember that, weren’t there some of the really high end suburbs that straight out banned all trucks, even garaged after dark here too?

Very well could be.  The town I was referring to was Flossmoor in the south suburbs.  I THINK they only banned "visible" trucks, but I can't be sure.  A complete ban (even in garages) would have been tougher to enforce/legally defend, but I can believe some towns could have attempted it.

We also have the B Truck plate that restricts where vehicles wearing them can be driven, like not being allowed on Lake Shore Drive, as an example too.

I actually was going to mention LSD in my original reply also, but didn't want to start muddying the waters too much.

 

[Sam I Am]

Are you talking about the guy who bought a brand new Rivian electric pickup and parked in the driveway? They were threatening to kick him out of the gated community because it was a pickup and not in the garage at all times. He pointed out that not only was it brand new, but it cost more than the neighbors cars that were left in the driveway at night. He also pointed out that the bylaws did not specifically single out pickups.  I wonder who won.

[Joe Handley]

1 hour ago, Sam I Am said:

Are you talking about the guy who bought a brand new Rivian electric pickup and parked in the driveway? They were threatening to kick him out of the gated community because it was a pickup and not in the garage at all times. He pointed out that not only was it brand new, but it cost more than the neighbors cars that were left in the driveway at night. He also pointed out that the bylaws did not specifically single out pickups.  I wonder who won.

That was in a Florida subdivision (possibly in a gated community too), with a HOA that had a similar rules vs local ordinances in some of the ritzier Chicago suburbs and neighboring, wanna be ritzy suburbs! Then when it comes to the B Truck Plates, vehicles with those plate are not allowed on certain roads, with Lake Shore Drive being one of them. Oddly enough, you can take box vans and step vans on those same restricted roads.

[Little Timmy]

When I bought my Hearse in 2002, It was registered as a commercial  truck.

I figured  it was because of the registered capacity,  ... 8500 pounds.  She weighed 6554 pounds with a full tank of gas ( and without my fat butt in the seat ) so her hauling capacity  was  1946 pounds ..... that's a lot of casket. 

I re-registered here a a regular car no problems, but she "easily" handled our fully loaded trailer which was 14080 pounds.

( yea... we got some funny looks.)

Who says you can't take it with you ???

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2023 by Little Timmy
Added picture 📸

[Ace-Garageguy]

14 minutes ago, Little Timmy said:

...( yea... we got some funny looks.)

Should have had a big external AC unit on the Caddy, some massive cooling units on the trailer roof, plus what looked like an incinerator stack, and a rack of 20 or so propane tanks.

"Tim's Mobile Morgue and Crematorium".  

[Brian Austin]

I saw this Olds hearse in the late '80s at a rest stop.  I've thought from time to time an ex flower car might be useful for hauling stuff.  🙂

 

While I was thinking how the distinction between automobile and truck has been blurred with crossovers and light SUVs, I was reminded that manufacturers have often included ElCaminos/Rancheros and sedan deliveries in commercial truck line brochures.  On the other hand, GM included Suburbans with cars in their station wagon brochures.  Lincoln even makes pickups now it appears.

[TarheelRick]

9 hours ago, Little Timmy said:

I re-registered here as a regular car no problems, but she "easily" handled our fully loaded trailer which was 14080 pounds.

At least you didn't pull a U-Haul trailer with it.  I've always heard, "You can't take it with you, you don't see a U-Haul trailer behind the hearse."

[iamsuperdan]

19 hours ago, Tabbysdaddy said:

My 86 K5 Blazer was classified as a station wagon on the title.

I had a '93 Jeep Cherokee, also listed as a station wagon on the registration. 🤪

[paul alflen]

ace garage guy, That would make a good creative model for good laughs at a mortuary convention.LOL

[GLMFAA1]

On 2/26/2023 at 2:49 PM, Tabbysdaddy said:

My 86 K5 Blazer was classified as a station wagon on the title.

I had a Dodge Ramcharger that was titled as a station wagon because I ordered the rear seat. Without a rear seat it was considered a truck in Ohio.

greg

[89AKurt]

When Subaru brought the first BRAT to the States, the back seats changed something about how it was sold/registered.

Guess I was the offender on the other thread when I posted my Canopy Express, which is a commercial truck. 🙄

[iamsuperdan]

21 minutes ago, 89AKurt said:

When Subaru brought the first BRAT to the States, the back seats changed something about how it was sold/registered.

 

If I recall, the rear jump seats were installed to avoid the import tariffs placed on trucks at the time. By adding the seats, the BRAT became a passenger car. Technically.

The import taxes were huge on trucks back in the early 80s.  Like 10 or 20 % higher than on cars.